"NAILING it on Draft Day"

For the 3rd year running, the Edmonton Oilers are PROUD to select #1 overall ...

"FILL IN THE BLANK"

Yes it has been proud moments the last 2 years, but hopefully that does not change come today, at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Anything short of the Oilers selecting Nail Yakupov #1 is a major mistake IMO. It's incredible the support this city has for Yakupov and it grows stronger by the day. I would guess we are at 90% of the people who care who the Oilers select #1 overall.

I am not getting into all the reasons why he should be selected first, you have heard them all. The recent chatter and concerns? Especially today amongst all the media etc..? It's all about ratings. It makes things more suspenseful and that is exactly what the Oilers are doing. They want to have some suspense, and they have done a good job with it.

A friend of mine (lets call him 'Easy J') and myself the last 2 years have gone draft crazy. We decided the year we got to draft #1 overall in 2010, we would go out and select a T-Shirt to buy, put a photos Shoped picture on the front of the player we believed would be selected by the Edmonton Oilers. We would pick the Name, photoshop a picture on the front, put the name on the back like a jersey and also the number we believed they would wear the next year for the Oilers. Now obviously I can not prove this following picture was done pre-draft, but trust me it was. We wore these T-Shirts proudly to Rexall Place and enjoyed the Draft Party.

Come Draft Day, not only did we select who we believed was the player, who the Edmonton Oilers were going to select (maybe people still thought Seguin was the man , even some MSM) but we also picked Lowe's old number in advance and didn't know for a few months until it happened. That player was........

Taylor Hall #4

ENTER, 2011. The 2nd straight #1 overall pick once again belonged to the Edmonton Oilers. Following prospects, years in advance also helps identify these players better. Also following the progress and maturity and passion for the game is quite beneficial. To be even more honest, following the consenus of the majority of scouts makes a difference as well. And the scouts who have a proven track record are even better. Getting to know more scouts in the know does make a big difference. With the access now that can be found through media, youtube (always careful with just the good highlights however) , streaming video and some awesome networks across continents (mostly North America) truly helps as well.

By December 1st/2010  we were pretty confident of who that selection would be. Bob Stauffer was a big booster as well. The rest of the year was just sitting back and waiting. It was a LONG wait. Finally the 2011 Draft was quickly coming and once again, 'Easy J' and I headed out to make what had become our annual #1 OV T-Shirt. We made our T-Shirts but this time had our own little Draft Party at home and wore our shirts proudly in advance, 'hoping and praying' we were right again. Once again we hit the jackpot!

RYAN NUGENT-HOPKINS #93

With now 2 straight years of picking 1st overall, no way did we ever dream we could finish low enough to win the lottery. Well, it did happen and long and behold, we are sitting here thinking, are we the proud 'Poppa' of another potential superstar player? This must be too good to be true. Who do we select? If you followed my 'REVS 2012 Top 15 NHL Draft Rankings' all year, you knew I had Nail Yakupov head and shoulders over everyone. Did I mention him much here at Oilers Jambalaya early? Nope, cause I didn't believe the Oilers had a shot at him at all. Grigorenko was my early favourite, then as the Oilers started to fade, I saw Murray as the possible selection #2. Once again this year, I was fortunate to connect with several more scouts both local but also now in Ontario, who had several showings of the man known as NAIL

I know there is controversy about other reasons not to select Yakupov 1st overall but in all truthfulness, none have any real legitimacy to them. Nail Yakupov is the man! So having now gone out and made our T-Shirts of the #1 overall pick, we only had one question left. What number will he wear in 'Nail Country', err, I mean 'Oil Country'?

So we spent the extra (prices have gone up) and made our T-Shirts with Name, Photo and Number in advance once again. I am displaying it here at Oilers Jambalaya today, hours before the draft to prove I put my money where my mouth is and make that selection one LAST time (we can only hope and pray). 

Let it be known, that the only known blogger in the Oilogosphere to put his reputation on the line with his prediction is old 'revingev' at Oilers Jambalaya.

 So without further boring you....."The Edmonton Oilers, Select with the historic 1st overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft....from the Sarnia Sting of the OHL, NAIL YAKUPOV"

NAIL YAKUPOV #96

Now should, the Oilers trade this pick, I am going to look real bad. I am so confident my pick and selection is accurate that if the Oilers do not select Yakupov, I will personally video tape myself cutting this Pre-Draft Yakupov T-Shirt into shreds and post it here at Oilers Jambalaya.

Here is hoping that I am right and we welcome another potential star in the making to

"Oil Country".

 Here is hoping we NAILED IT!

Last night before grabing some shut eye before the big Draft day, I leaked the pre-draft pic out for my twitter followers. I also decided to send off a quick tweet to the 'Mighty Nail' with this above picture. A real classy guy who could bring alot more to this team then just another player who is good.

For Oiler ,Baron and Thunder news and the 2012 or 2013 NHL draft watch, go to www.twitter.com/revingev